


Plant These Seeds and Watch Them Grow

by sheesusnat



Category: Men's Hockey RPF
Genre: Long-Term Relationship, M/M, Meeting the Parents, dumb cute boys taking big steps in their relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-16
Updated: 2019-12-16
Packaged: 2021-02-26 20:40:20
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,604
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21824863
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sheesusnat/pseuds/sheesusnat
Summary: Morgan came out to his parents as bi months ago, and he's already told them that he has a boyfriend. They just haven't met him. And they definitely don't know that he's Brock Boeser. Morgan thinks that it's time to change that.He just really hopes that it goes well.
Relationships: Brock Boeser/Morgan Rielly
Comments: 52
Kudos: 316





	Plant These Seeds and Watch Them Grow

**Author's Note:**

> It's high time we checked in on the [Life of Succulents](https://archiveofourown.org/works/16103879/chapters/37615097) boys, don't you think? Just a self-indulgent little update on these two. Happy Holidays, everyone!

Morgan always loves coming home to Vancouver during the season, and it's even better when the schedule allows him a couple of days in town. The Leafs play in St. Louis on Saturday and then fly straight out to Vancouver, arriving well past midnight, but Morgan doesn't mind the late hour. They're off the next day, which means he doesn't have to get up early, doesn't even have to set an alarm. His only plan is to spend time with his parents. Tonight, though, he absolutely has something else in mind.

An hour after they arrive and check in to the hotel, Morgan is waffling between pajama pants or jeans. It feels like maybe he should try to dress up, but he also knows Brock would probably make fun of him for it. In the end he decides on joggers and a Leafs' hoodie. Moments after he makes up his mind and changes clothes, there's a light knock on his door--not enough to alert any of his teammates down the hall, just enough for him to hear--and his pulse ratchets up. It's probably ridiculous to be this excited to see your own boyfriend, but it still hasn't gotten old for Morgan.

He clearly didn't need to worry what he was wearing, because the minute he opens the door, Brock is inside and closing it, crowding Morgan against the wall, arms latched around him and pulling him into a kiss, wet and messy and desperate. Morgan gets his hands in Brock's hair, threading through it, and he wants to just  _ look  _ at him, finally in person and not on a lagging screen, but he's not going to stop Brock from taking exactly what he wants, and right now, Brock seems to want to kiss and touch Morgan all over.

It's not really a hardship.

"Fuck, I missed you," Brock mutters, pulling back just enough to yank Morgan's hoodie over his head. 

"Me too," Morgan assures him, pushing Brock's puffy vest from his shoulders, "me too. So much."

Brock guides him over toward the bed, pushing him to sit down. "We'll catch up and do all the talking and stuff later, I swear. I just need you, yeah?" He straddles Morgan's hips and guides him to lay back, kissing him again, but this time it's slow, languid, like he's savoring it.

"Yeah, of course. We've got all night," he says, panting into Brock's mouth. He feels like he's done a 3 minute shift, anticipation thrumming in his blood. Truth be told, he's just as needy for this as Brock seems to be; he's just glad he's not the only one. He slides his hands up Brock's hips and under his shirt, peeling it off, and he still can't quite believe he gets to do this, even after all this time. "You're so fucking perfect."

Brock watches him for a moment, smile soft and lopsided. "I appreciate it, I do, but can you be romantic later? It's been  _ forever _ and I'm horny as fuck right now."

Morgan laughs, cutting through the otherwise silent room. "Got it, sex first, romance later." 

"You're the best damn boyfriend," Brock says, pressing a loud, wet kiss to Morgan's mouth.

And then he yanks Morgan's hoodie off.

____

Hours later, that time of night where it's almost morning again, Brock has his head on Morgan's chest, sated and lazy, aching in all the best places for all the best reasons. Morgan is petting his hair, playing with it, pressing idle kisses to his forehead. They should be sleeping, both of them played games tonight, and Morgan had a long flight on top of it. 

But there's a tension radiating off of him, and even though he's not saying a word, it's buzzing around them.

"You're thinking too loud," Brock says finally, biting back a yawn.

"Hmm? Oh no, it's nothing." Morgan is trying for casual, but he's missing the mark by a wide margin.

"You're also full of shit and a terrible liar. What's up?"

Morgan's hand stills in his hair and he slides it down to wrap around Brock's back, holding him closer. He takes a couple of breaths before he finally speaks. "So I'm gonna go see my parents later today, just hang out with them and Mags, and then I was thinking I could take them out to a nice dinner, I always try to do that when I'm home." He trails off, and he swallows loudly enough for Brock to hear it. "I was just thinking, um. So I came out to them already, they know I'm bi. They're real good about it now. Dad put a pride sticker on his car." 

Brock takes a breath to respond, but Morgan barrels on before he gets the chance.

"And I mentioned to them that I was seeing someone, you know? And my mom has been kind of hinting about it, how she wants to meet him," he pauses, correcting himself immediately, "you, I mean. She wants to meet you. So uh, like, I know you wanna wait on your parents, with your dad's health and all of that, and I totally get it, I respect that completely--"

"Yes, I'm okay if you want me to meet your parents." Brock finally just interrupts his rambling, because he's pretty sure Morgan is just going to keep going otherwise.

"Only if you're sure," Morgan insists, his shoulders still tense, and he starts to launch into more nervous babbling. "Because like, I know it's still early, and it's a big deal, meeting each other's parents. And my mom might say something embarrassing or my dad might say something dumb, and he doesn't mean it, he tries really hard to not ever say anything offensive--"

"Morgan." Brock sits up and turns so he can fully face him. "It's good. I'm happy to meet your parents. I'm sure they're going to be great. And I'll do my best to charm them, yeah?"

All at once, Morgan's brow smoothes and his smile goes wide, open. "Yeah? You're okay with it?"

"Only if you stop babbling about it, it's almost four in the morning, it's way too late to listen to that much word vomit."

Morgan pulls him down and kisses him, thorough and possessive. "God, they're gonna love you, I swear it. No way they don't."

"Well I'll do my best to stack the deck in our favor." Brock snuggles in close again, yawning largely. "Now let's sleep so I can be my charming self tomorrow."

____

Morgan is sitting in his parents' living room, in front of a Christmas tree that they just decorated together ("we had to wait until you got here, when we saw the schedule!" his mom had insisted), and Maggie is playing with the toy he brought her from Toronto. His brother left as soon as they were done with the tree, with a handshake and a hug and an order to beat the Canucks the next night.

Now it's just him and his parents. He knows he has to broach the subject of dinner, and he feels even more nervous than he did bringing it up to Brock. "So uh, I figured we could do dinner out tonight, maybe Italian. I was thinking CinCin, does that sound good to you guys?"

"We don't have to do that, I can make dinner, you do restaurants all the time." His mom is on the couch, watching him on the floor playing with Maggie. 

The privacy of his parents' house would likely make this easier, no worries of anyone spotting him or Brock and interrupting with picture or autograph requests. He'll take care of the dishes afterward to make up for her doing the cooking. "That would be great, mom. I can bring wine and do the dishes after." 

She waves him off with a good-natured roll of her eyes. His dad joins them, sitting next to his mom and reaching over with a treat for Maggie. "I'll do steaks on the grill, it's warm enough." 

The temperature outside is only seven degrees celsius, but they are Canadian, so sure, it's warm enough to grill. "That would be great," Morgan nods along. "And if you're getting steaks, um, maybe grab an extra one? Because I was thinking, if you guys are okay with it, I could bring my boyfriend?"

His mom's face lights up immediately. "Yes! Of course, of course you can. Right, Andrew?" Her tone is light and cheerful, but there's no argument to be had. She's made this decision, and Morgan knows that his dad is definitely not going to disagree; she used his full name, not 'Andy.' She means business.

"Yeah, I'll grab an extra steak, not a problem." His dad answers quickly, and Morgan doesn't take it personally that he looks a bit panicked. He's getting better about the whole bi thing, and Morgan knows that he's trying. He doesn't know how to talk about it, really, but he's supportive, and Morgan will take it.

"Okay, that's great, yeah. Dinner will be good." He's been going back and forth with his decision on this next part since he started thinking about introducing them: should he warn them in advance that his boyfriend is another NHL player? In the end, he feels like he has to give them a head's up. "And uh, just one more thing. He kinda...plays for the Canucks?"

His dad's jaw drops and his mom's eyes go wide.

"Yeah, um. So it's Brock Boeser. He's American, a couple years younger than me--"

"Morgan, we know who Brock Boeser is." His dad interrupts, looking shell-shocked. "Okay, so that's not what I was expecting, but that's fine. Good, that's good. Great."

"It makes sense, you guys both have to be so careful," his mom adds, nodding thoughtfully. "Oh, and he seems like such a nice boy."

"Oh my god, mom, he's 22, he's not a 'boy.'"

She chuckles and shakes her head. "Sorry, sorry, I won't say anything like that when he's here."

Morgan is only marginally less anxious than he was before he told them. He just really wants tonight to go well.

"Do you know if he's gluten-free or anything? I can plan food around that if he is!"

Morgan glances at Maggie and whispers to her. "You're the only one who's not gonna fuck this up, baby girl."

____

Brock is pretty sure he's supposed to be more nervous than he is, but in this moment, he's feeling pretty confident. His hair is good, he's clean-shaven, he's dressed nicely but not too fussy--dark jeans and a button down shirt--and he's got a bottle of wine and a bouquet of flowers for Morgan's mom. He's got this 'Meeting The Parents' thing down.

Morgan, meanwhile, is driving toward his parents' place through a barely hidden anxiety attack, fingers tapping rapidly on the steering wheel and his left leg bouncing up and down. He's also going to chew a hole clear through his lip if he's not careful.

"It'll be okay," Brock breaks into the silence, and Morgan jumps at the sudden statement.

"What? Yeah, no, of course. I'm sure. It'll be great."

"Yeah I can see how confident you are over there," Brock deadpans. "I swear, I'll be on my best behavior."

"Oh god no, it's not you. I know you'll be okay." Morgan lets out a ragged breath when he pulls to a stop at a red light. "It's just a big deal, you know? I haven't introduced anyone to my parents since my girlfriend back when I was playing in Moose Jaw. And my mom is probably going to smother you. And my dad is going to do something embarrassing like call you 'sport' or something."

Brock reaches across the console and entwines his fingers with Morgan's. "And when you meet my parents, my mom's probably going to interrogate you for an hour. And my sister has already embarrassed me plenty in front of you, so now I just get a little back."

Morgan squeezes his hand, keeps holding it even as he starts driving again. "I just want you to like them. And I want them to like you. I just want this to go well, you know?"

"Hey, if your parents value Maggie's opinion as much as you do, they're gonna  _ love _ me. She thinks I'm awesome."

The crease in Morgan's forehead eases just a bit and a hint of a smile forms on his lips. "Yeah, I guess she does like you a little bit."

"A little? She might like me more than you do." Brock winks at Morgan, overt and cheesy, when he looks over. "Besides, it's been months, I miss her. I can't wait to cuddle with her. Think your parents will be offended if I lay on the floor playing with her until dinner?"

Finally Morgan lets out a laugh. It's a short one, but Brock will take it. "I think they'll totally understand if you want to hang out on the floor with Mags. And that might make them like you even more."

"Good thing I brought her a little something too, eh?" Brock pulls out a treat from his pocket, one of those fancy dog biscuits that are decorated to look like they came out of a gourmet bakery.

"Shit," Morgan says, his eyes going soft and fond. "I fucking love you."

____

Morgan has no idea how Brock can be so casual about this. He's going to be a nervous wreck when he meets Brock's parents, worried that he won't live up to whatever expectations his family has for a boyfriend. But as they walk up to the front door of his parents' place, Brock is as cool as ever. His smile is easy and quick, not a hint of tension in his shoulders. 

There's no need to knock on the door--this is still practically his home too, he's never knocked before--but Morgan almost does it anyway. He raises his fist for it but stops himself and takes one last deep breath and glances at Brock. "Ready?"

Brock takes his raised hand and squeezes it reassuringly. "Ready."

His mom, unsurprisingly, is the first one to greet them when they walk inside. He half-expected her to be in formalwear, but she held back, and it looks as if both she and Brock had the same idea for wardrobe: a little dressed up but casual. "Come in, boys, come in. It's chilly out there." She hugs Morgan first and then turns to Brock. 

Morgan jolts when he realizes he needs to do the actual introducing part of this. "Oh, right, um. Mom, this is Brock. Brock, this is my mom."

"Hello, Mrs. Rielly, thanks for having me." Brock extends the bouquet and the bottle of wine to her, and in an instant, Morgan knows that at least one of his parents is charmed.

"Oh my, please just call me Shirley," she says with a wide smile. "Look at these! Thank you so much, you didn't have to do that."

She sets the wine and flowers aside and after a moment's hesitation, she decides to forgo the handshake and pulls Brock into a hug. Morgan fights back an audible groan, just exhaling through his nose instead, but Brock seems unbothered. "Well it is very nice to meet you, Shirley. You have a great house here."

Morgan's mom beams under the praise. "Well it always looks best around the holidays. Morgan helped us decorate the tree this morning." 

"He's pretty good at that stuff, I've learned." Brock slides his hand into Morgan's and Morgan holds his breath for the reaction, but his mom breezes right past it, heading into the kitchen to put the flowers in a vase. 

"Morgan's dad is out on the back patio getting the grill warmed up, he should be back inside any second now. Can I get you boys a drink? I can pour some of the wine you brought." 

"Well Morgan had to help me pick it out," Brock explains. "He's the wine-drinker, so ask him if this one works with dinner." 

His mom motions to the stove. "Steaks on the grill, asparagus and roasted potatoes?" 

"Yeah, it's perfect then. I can open it." Morgan chimes in. He mostly just wants something to do with his hands. So far so good, but he's still worried something will go wrong. Before his mom can protest, he grabs the bottle opener and takes down four glasses. "It'll be best if it breathes for a few minutes anyway."

The patio door opens and immediately Maggie runs in, a beeline straight for Brock, yipping happily. "Mags, baby girl!" Brock exclaims and crouches down so he can pet over the top of her head, down her back, scratching through her fur. "I missed you too!"

Morgan steals a glance at his mom, and the look on her face as she watches Brock baby-talking at their dog is downright dreamy. The tightness in his shoulders loosens just a little.

"Well now I see why she was so antsy to get back inside," Morgan's dad says as he strolls in, grinning at the scene in front of him. "I thought she just knew the steaks were on the counter in here."

Brock gives Maggie one more squeeze and then stands up, wiping his hands on his pants. "Mr. Rielly," he says, stepping forward to extend his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Andy," he corrects, clasping Brock's hand. "And it's nice to meet you too. I've heard good things. You're having a hell of a season."

Morgan can't stop himself from groaning this time. " _ Dad _ ."

"It's fine," Brock says, taking it in stride. "It's been a pretty decent start for us. Could be better, but we're working on it."

"See Morgan, he doesn't mind talking shop a little bit." Morgan's dad walks around the island in the kitchen to grab one of the glasses of wine and the tray of steaks. 

"I don't mind at all, it's good to get a different perspective." Brock says, and Morgan knows he's kissing ass, but his dad is buying it. "Can I help you with anything, Andy?"

Morgan's dad visibly relaxes and he gives a warm smile and a nod. "Sure thing, come on outside with me, we'll talk some hockey out there where Morgan won't bitch about it."

"Don't give him tips, dad, you're not a coach!" Morgan calls out as they both head out onto the patio, Maggie trotting along on their heels.

Morgan's mom waits until the door is closed before she speaks up. "Morgan, he's  _ wonderful _ . What a gentleman!" She's admiring the flowers he brought, setting them on the windowsill above the kitchen sink. 

When he looks outside, his dad is laughing at something Brock said.

This might not be so bad after all.

____

Morgan's mom does smother Brock a little bit. And his dad does call him 'champ' once. Maggie is the perfectly sweet angel that she always is.

But by the time they're at the front door sharing hugs and goodbyes, Brock is feeling pretty damn good about everything. Morgan's parents are great: they clearly love their son and want the best for him, but they're not overbearing about it. He didn't once feel like he was on trial, although he's pretty sure Morgan's mom is already planning a wedding and wondering what kind of parents they'll make. They made him feel welcomed and part of the family. 

He's pretty sure he passed the test, if there was one.

When they get back outside and into the car, he looks over at Morgan, who lets out a deep sigh and looks over at Brock with a smile. "I think it was okay? They didn't scare you too much, did they?"

Brock leans over and shuts Morgan up with a kiss, quick and closed-mouthed. "They didn't scare me at all. They're great, really. Overeager a bit maybe, but that's expected. The more we hang out the more comfortable we'll be together."

"Wait, we're gonna hang out with them more often?"

Brock raises one eyebrow. "Well see, this is a serious thing, yeah? I plan to be in the picture for a long time. And if I'm your boyfriend for the next however many years, yeah, I figure I'm going to spend more time with your parents." Brock hesitates a moment and then smirks. "Hell, I might go see them just so I can hang out with Maggie more. She clearly missed me."

Morgan lets out a laugh and it sounds more like relief than amusement. "Okay, so it all went fine. You're not running off screaming. My parents didn't scare you away."

"Were you honestly worried about that?" Brock rolls his eyes. "Even if your parents had been awful to me, here's the thing. I'm not dating your parents; I'm dating you. They couldn't scare me off because I want to be with you."

Morgan looks sheepishly down at the steering wheel. "I mean, I know that. Just you know, there's always that worry, that voice in my head. That it's gonna go wrong."

"Well that voice in your head is an idiot. I love you, dumbass."

"Thaaaanks, babe," Morgan says, dragging out the words as he finally starts the car. "I love you too."

  
  
  


The next morning, after Morgan has gone to meet up with his team, before Brock has to leave for his gameday skate, he dials his parents' number.

"Hey mom, so I was thinking about the break coming up. Could I bring someone home for Christmas?"


End file.
